My boys weren't too sure about me leaving for 10 days. I can't blame them. This was a first. Daddy and Grandma Taufer were going to make sure they were well taken care of and had lots of fun.
We arrived to find the twins sleeping in their swings! This was going to be fun! (Ellie)
Drew
We jumped right in helping and getting ready for John's doggie party that night.
He was so excited and had a great time. We 'barked' happy birthday to him. It was so funny!
This was a scene you would see many times a day while we were there.
Mom with Ellie, Me with Drew.
Cloey is such an awesome big sister!
I had so much fun snapping shots of these two. I think we counted over 300 pictures in 10 days! It was awesome. I'll show you just a few of my favorites!
John on his new sweet ride. He couldn't wait for the seat to be put on.
After Cloey finished her treat you would have thought it was St. Patrick's day!
This little boy LOVES dogs! We got him a stuffed animal holding a sports blanket and the smile on his face explains it all. (Thank you camera for not delaying!)
Sleeping on the couch. Side by side. The pictures don't do justice to how small they really were!
If you need anything vacuumed, call John! He uses that hand vacuum until the batteries die. Yes he did get a vacuum (toy that is) for his birthday. He pushed it around everyday!
Ellie in her cute hat that was too big when she was born; here it barely fits.
This is what you would see at least 3 times a day.
Cloey helped me do dishes this day and finished by reorganizing the drawer. She takes after her auntie!
Coming home from the park...Mr. Jacob!
Cute Cloey!
Playing in the backyard, I caught Jacob sucking on his ring pop. I love this cute profile picture!
This is John to a T! Always happy!
Bath time for the babes in their tub in the kitchen sink. Ellie was NOT happy with us. She turned the same color as her towel!
My little buddy Drew, so patient....until we unwrapped him to get him dressed... Ha! Can't blame him! These towel pictures show a little better how little they are.
Sleeping in their bassinet all warm and snug. I had them all night a couple of times and for the most part they did really well.
Melt your heart, handsome baby Drew!
Oh so sweet and little, baby Ellie!
Another scene several times a day! Diaper changes!
Saturday night (night before Mother's Day) Cloey and I had a little fun after tub time!
Boy did it turn out great! Her curls were just perfect! Thanks Cloey for letting me 'play'!
This is one of my all time favorite pictures! It was one of those moments that 'just happened'. I'm so glad we got it!
Not sure why this picture is tipped... Tina made the cutest blankets for her babes. (all of her kids have one from her) I had the honor of embroidering their names into the corner.
Before we left we had to take a few more pictures! Cute Jacob! Memories of Jake... Everyday he wanted to watch Raaarrr. (Interpreted as The Land Before Time) I got to take him to school and pick him up a few times and we saw the hoo hoo (train) nearly every time. He loved to be outside, play(get into mischief) with his brother, and watch a show. He is saying more words everyday!
Teens, teens, teens,...we worried about leaving her with so much on her plate and beginning a head cold. She has definitely had some hard days but is doing SO well! She is such a good little mama! We tried to give her as many naps as possible while we were there. It was so fun to see where she lived and be there with her family! Tyler finished a semester of school while we were there so it was good to know he'd be home a little more for a time. He was amazing too! That a team they make!
Bubba John! He is so happy! He would wake up in the morning or from a nap and come to the top of the stairs and say 'HI' in his happiest voice every time! He was ALWAYS on the go! He wouldn't even sit to watch a show. I told my mom, I thought I could do twins if I didn't have a 2 year old too! :) He loved to go for rides in the car to take the kiddos to school, he loved to be outside and eat snacks!
My little buddy Drew! He was such a good eater. He would eat so fast, give good burps and snuggle. We all made sure we rotated to get a chance to have Drew. I miss them so much!
Sweet little Ellie! She had the cutest little cry. She is(was) so much smaller than her brother. She snuggled once she was asleep. It was fun to find girlie clothes to dress her up in. She was so fun to hold. I can't wait to see them again!
Miss Cloey!!! It was hard to smile in this picture. She and Jake came to the airport with us. We all got teary having to say good bye. What a special little girl she is! She had been working on a workbook and when she finished it would earn the movie Tangled. Grandma, Tina and I helped her everyday so we could have a movie night with her before we left. She did it!!! It was so fun! What a great movie! Cloey was gone a lot of the time at school but when she was home she was so helpful. She loved to play pretend, play outside, hold and help with the babies. What a sweetheart!
It was such a great trip but I have to say, I was EXHAUSTED when I got home! It took me almost a week to feel 'normal' again. I had a hard time complaining knowing that Tina and Tyler were still at it back in Texas.
I wanted to bring back a souvenir, rare and not purchasable...alas it wasn't possible. The Texan accent will still be a coveted gift! :)
It felt like groundhog day doing the same thing over and over. We lost track of what day it was at times. I got to experience some pretty big, Texas size thunderstorms. Let's just be honest, I was a chicken!!! To my defense, I was home alone with the babies when one storm turned into hail. I thought for sure we had a tornado on our hands!
So many fun memories! Thanks Mom and Dad for sending me with you Mom!
We packed a lunch and had a fun outing with our friends the Patterson's
We were all so impressed with all that we saw. Here's Nathanael with his pal Jonathan. They've been friends since they were 3.
Joshua taking it all in. He loved this mural.
Watch out!!! He's so shocked he froze! Ha!
Here's our group!
Here's a femur bone. Joshua had to compare his own.
That's one big dinosaur!
He loved it so much he had to sketch it.
Oh no! It ate them!
This was the head of a crocodile!
My artist at work again.
I'm thisss big!
Look how big I am!
Back in the lab, Nathanael took a turn being photographer.
She let the boys do some 'digging' with an air pencil. It was so cool! All the things she showed us were from Utah. 
Look at him go!
Toward the top of the picture there is the out line of a jaw. 
This is a giant sloth. I couldn't believe how big it was!
What a good time!
Nathanael, Joshua, Olivia and Jonathan
I thought this stone was so neat. Isn't it pretty?!
What a goofy crew!
We had to get a picture with the cougar in the background. 
